Residence Visa In Ireland

The Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS) is the government agency that grants a person the right to reside in Ireland. In order to obtain a residence visa, you must be able to prove that you make enough money in Ireland.

The Irish National Residence Permit is for those non-EU citizens who want to reside in Ireland indefinitely. This type of permit will grant you permission to remain in Ireland for a period of one year if you have a current residence visa. You can renew your residence permit every year if you meet the necessary requirements.

Ireland has become quite popular with foreign nationals because of its refreshing nature and friendly demeanor. Ireland is a country that attracts immigrants from all parts of the world, but mostly from European countries as Afghanistan, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Germany and UK.

Foreign nationals who have been living in Ireland with a type of work authorization for five years become eligible for the Ireland Permanent Residence Permit.

Foreign nationals who receive Irish permanent residency will get a Stamp 4 on their passport, which is valid for 5 years, and is renewable.

Residence Visa In Ireland

Additionally, after eight years of legal residence, you can apply for a “Without Condition As To Time” endorsement, which as the name suggests, does not have a pre-specified validity.

Who is eligible for the Ireland Permanent Residency?

You are eligible to apply for Ireland permanent residency if you fulfill the following conditions:

  • You have lived in Ireland legally for at least five years (60 months). The times you did not spend in Ireland in those five years do not count towards your “reckonable residence”.
  • You have lived in Ireland with some type of work authorization, such as an Employment Permit, and have held a Stamp 1 or Stamp 4.
    • Additionally, you could apply to be exempt from Irish work permit requirements, ie. be allowed to work without applying for an employment permit.
    • Not all types of work authorizations are eligible, however (see below).
  • Your Irish Residence Permit is valid at the time of application.
  • You are employed at the time of application, and will be after.
  • You are of good character.

Additionally, if you are the spouse or dependent of an Irish Permanent Residence holder, you are also eligible for permanent residency, provided that you meet the time requirements (you have spend at least 60 months of legal residence in Ireland). Your family member must have already been granted their own permanent residency on a Stamp 4 before you can apply.

As a spouse/dependent, you will receive an immigration Stamp 3 and you will not be exempt from holding an employment permit.

Which Irish residence permissions are not eligible for Irish permanent residency?

You are not for permanent residency in Ireland, even if you meet the time requirements, if:

  • You have lived in Ireland with a Student Visa.
  • You have lived in Ireland as an Intra-Company Transferee.
  • You are an employee at a foreign embassy in Ireland.
  • You received Permission to Remain under the Working Holiday Visa scheme.
  • You only hold a Green Card (Employment) permit.
  • You are living in Ireland under Business Permission.
  • You are living in Ireland under the Turkish Agreement.
  • You have received permission to remain in Ireland under humanitarian grounds.
  • You have received Refugee Status.
  • You received permission to remain in Ireland under the IBC and IBC-05 (Irish Born Child) schemes.

Ireland Permanent Residency document checklist

When you submit your Ireland permanent residency application, you have to include the following documents:

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  • Copy of your work permits.
  • A copy of your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB Card.
  • Clear, colored copies of your passport pages, including all endorsements (Stamps) you have received, as well as your personal information.
    • If you got a new passport since coming to Ireland, then include copies of the previous passport which holds any endorsements/stamps from Irish authorities.
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How to apply for Ireland Permanent Residency?

Apply via mail

You must submit your permanent residency application via mail at the Long Term Residency Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS).

Submit the documents

You must bring the required documents. The immigration officers will decide whether you meet the requirements for permanent residency. If you do not meet the requirements, they will notify you within one week.

If you meet the requirements for Ireland permanent residency, they will proceed to process your application.

Wait for processing

Once your Ireland permanent residency application has been approved, INIS will send you a letter of approval. The letter informs you that you must pay the Ireland Permanent Residence Permit fee (€500) within 28 days. You can pay the fee via a bank draft or postal order to the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality.

Once you pay the fee, INIS will send you a letter granting you Long Term Residency in Ireland on a Stamp 4 for 5 years.

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Additionally, you also have to visit the Irish Garda National Immigration Bureau, who will issue you with the immigration Stamp 4 (or Stamp 3 if you applied as a spouse/dependent). INIS will also send GNIB a letter which informs them of the decision and what type of stamp they have cleared you to receive.

Ireland Permanent Residency processing time

Applications for Irish permanent residency are processed within six to eight months. Some applications may take longer to process, depending on specific circumstances.

Irish Permanent Residency Renewal

You do not have to submit another Ireland Permanent Residence Permit application. Once your permit expires, you just have to visit your local Immigration Office and renew it for another five years.

The Irish Without Condition As To Time Endorsement

Once you have lived in Ireland for at least eight years (96 months), you may be eligible for the Irish Without Condition As To Time Endorsement.

This type of endorsement, as the name suggests, is not issued with any specific expiry date. It  is placed on your passport in the form of a Stamp 5 and is valid for the full duration of your passport. When your passport expires and you get a new one, you can apply to have your Stamp 5 renewed.

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Who is eligible for the Without Condition As To Time Endorsement?

You are eligible for the Without Condition As To Time Endorsement if you fulfill the following conditions:

  • You have lived in Ireland legally for at least 8 years (96 months)
  • During your residence in Ireland, you had one of the following immigration stamps:
    • Stamp 1
    • Stamp 3
    • Stamp 4
    • Stamp EuFam
  • You are in Ireland at the time you submit your application.

However, if you had one of the following stamps on your passport while you lived in Ireland, they will not count towards your required time for the Without Condition As To Time Endorsement:

  • Stamp 0
  • Stamp 2 or Stamp 2A (Student visa)
  • Stamp 4 for a Temporary Registered Doctors
  • Stamp 1A for a Trainee Accountant
  • Stamp 4 for an Intra Company Transferee
  • Stamp 3 for the Spouse or dependent of an Intra Company Transferee
  • Permission to stay on an Ireland short stay (C) visa

Documents required for the Without Condition As To Time Endorsement

The documents you have to include along with your application for the Without Condition As To Time Endorsement are:

  • The completed application form.
  • Colored photocopies of your passport pages, showing your personal information and all the immigration permissions you have received.
    • Also include any past passports which hold Irish immigration stamps.
  • A copy of your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB Card.
  • Financial documents which prove your continuous residence in Ireland, such as:
    • P60s or P45s from the Department of Revenue
    • Proof of receipt of state benefits, including state pension, from the Department of Social Protection.

How to apply for the Without Condition As To Time Endorsement?

You must submit the application for a Without Condition As To Time Endorsement by mail at the Residence Division Unit 3 of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) in Dublin. You can only apply within the last 6 months of your current permission. If you have more than six months before your permit expires, your application will not be accepted.

The application process goes as follows:

  • Download the “Application for permission to remain in the State on the Without Condition as To Time (Stamp 5)” application form on INIS’s website.
  • Complete the application, sign the Statutory Declaration, and sign and date the application form.
  • Attach the required documents (see below) to your application and submit them by mail to INIS.

The processing time for a Without Condition As To Time Endorsement can take up to six months.

If your application is approved, the INIS will contact you and you have to submit your original passport by registered post, where they will place your Stamp 5 endorsement, which states: “The holder of this passport is permitted to remain in Ireland without condition as to time.”

You must also include enough post stamps to cover the cost of returning your passport to you.

After you receive your passport, you have to make an appointment at your local immigration office so they can register your permission.

At the local immigration office, you also have to pay a registration fee.

Becoming a citizen of Ireland

However, if you have lived in Ireland for the required amount of time, you may be able to obtain Irish citizenship through naturalization. You can apply for Irish citizenship through naturalization if you can prove that you were legally resident in Ireland for at least 5 years out of the last 9 years, including the one year immediately preceding the application.

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